Circuit-controlling device.



M. LEVISON.

CIRCUIT CONTROLLING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 6. 19I2.

Patented Oct. 19, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

ZZZ/'15 565.

COLUMBIA PLANGGRAPH C0, WASHINGTON, D cv Patented Oct. 19, 1915. v v 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2. T 11-1141 M. LEVISON.

CIRCUIT CONTROLLING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 6. 1912.

, Devices, of which actuating an annunciator; to provide in MAU ICE LEVISON, or enrol-1 0, rztmnofs',

CIRCUIT-CONTROLLING Davies.

To all whom it may concern :1 Y 1 7 Be it known that 1, Manama LEVISON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Circuit-Controlling the following is a specificat-ion. a;

My invention relates to improvements in circuit-controlling devices, andmore particularly to a device forconnection in suitable circuits to actuate an annunciator upon continuous maintenance ofcertain condi tions of a. circuit for a predetermined lapse oftime. j a v v a I Among the objects of my invention are to provide a simple, compact, and effective retard Structure which may be built on a unit to provide advanthe device to of time before provided for each line; tageous means for adjusting require greater or less lapse construction'means 'toprolong an annunciation, once started,,until' it is advisedly released, such means being independent of the condition in the ide such a structure which shall immediwhose lines remain in actuating condition.

1 Other objects of inventionv will become apparent to those skilled in the art from a consideration ofthe following-description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a front elevation of a device embodving my invention; Fig. '2 is a plan view thereof; Fig. 3 is an enlarged section on line 3-3.of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is an enlarged section on line 4.4"of.l3 ig'. 1;.VFig. 5 is a diagrammatic view of the circuit connections'of the device as applied to a hospital, signal system such as mv copending 7 application, Serial No. 390,131, filed August 28, 1907;: a nd Fig. 6

Specification of Letters Patent.

Cook and State so that a separate instrument may be such line which initially caused actuation of the annunclator; to pro- 1 I have disclosed in I p I 'assieiv'oa 12o or CHICAGO,"ILLINOIS,A coaroaarro v or rm nvo sp Visa diagrammatic view of the circuit con nections showing a mod fied application oi the device. v i 1 V j i The structure includes essentially an electro-responsive device for response to predetermined conditions n a main circuit, SllCh'dBVlCG being here n shown as an electrornagnet 10, suitably: mounted upon base 11; The armature 12' of the electromagnet is arranged to close contacts and alsojto control the means by which an annunciation is to be effected after the predetermined lapse of time during allof which the electromagnet must be constantly energized. For convenience, the armature 12- maybe of L-sliape, pivotally mounted as at 13 and retained in retracted position byspring 14. Coacting contacts,15-1'6 and 17-+18 are mounted upon insulating frame 19, said contac'ts standing normally. open and adapted tobe closed upon attraction of armature v12 CHICAGO s'IGNALcoMrA-N'Y,

Patented oct; 19', 1915, Application filed-Sept mb r's, 1912. Serial 110,718,339. i

bythe electromagnetiby means of pin 20 I carried by the armature and provided with insulating washers '21. engaging? contacts 18 and 16 respectively;

Upon, the end of the horizontal member of the armature'f12 is mounted means whereby the armature may act, when attracted by the electromagnet 10, to control 'mechanism through whichth'e annunciation is causedto be actuated, and's'in ce as hereafter to be described, the, actuating means for the an nunciator, may conveniently include a ratchet wheel, the armature-carried controlling means is shownas a dead pawl l" or holding pawl22 pivotally mounted upon the armature as at 23 and yieldingly held to one limit of its movement by spring 24: which at one end engages the pawl and: at the other end engages post 25 carried by the armature, the pawl being of course provided with a top portion26 to limit'the movement of the pawl by spring 24. a y

Devices are well known in the art" for causing impulses in acircuit at regular timed intervals,-and the mechanism for obs taining' the timed operation of the annunciator-actuating means, may therefore conveniently take the. form of an electromag-.

spring-returnable ratchet be held by the pawl 22 turn when, and only as magnet 10 is energized. indicates the armature of the electromagnet 30 having pivotally mounted upon its end a pawl 32 having a slot 33 which engages, for slight lost motion, a guidepost 34, and 35 indicates a spring surrounding said post 34 and engaging the pawl 32 to press it downwardly toward the ratchet wheel to be described. The annunciating devices may conveniently take the form of electric lamps and the actuating means therefor involves contacts'and a ratchet Wheel to move the contacts, said wheel to be controlled by the electromagnets 10 and 30 respectively through the pawls 22 and 32. Specifically, 40, 41, 42, and 43 indicate contacts mounted in insulating frame 44, the contact spring 40 being longer than the other contacts and provided with a cross piece 45 so that in one position the movable contact 40 cotiperates with the single contact 41 and in another position the two contacts 42 and 43 coact with said cross piece of the movable contact 40.

The ratchet wheel heretofore mentioned is indicated at 46 and is loosely mounted upon the supporting shaft 47 carried by the plate 11, a spring 48 being provided between the ratchet 46 and plate 11 to tend to rotate the ratchet backwardly or clockwise. It will be seen that, since magnet 30 controls the live or active pawl for said ratchet and magnet 10 controls its dead or holding pawl, actuations of the electromagnet 30 will be ineffectual unless electromagnet 10 is energized to move the holding pawl 22 in coaction with the ratchet wheel. 49 indicates an insulating stud upon the front face of the ratchet wheel, the path of rotation of the stud 49 being intercepted by the longer contact 40 so that the rotation of ratchet wheel 46 under operation of the electromagnets 10 and 30 as described will cause the stud 49 finally to strike the end of contact 40 and push it from coaction with contact 41 into coaction with contacts 42 and 43. It is desirable, however, that contact 41 should follow the central contact 40 almost until the latter engages contacts 42 and 43 and also that contact 40 be not forced so far toward the contacts 42 and 43 as to destroy the spring adjustment of the contacts 40, 42, and'43; the spring contact 41' is therefore appropriately resilient and the ratchet is stripped of one of its teeth, as

wheel which is to against spring relong as, electroat 46, to be unable to advanace the longer contact 40 past its switch-operating pos'ition.

I preferably provide means for varying the time interval which must elapse between .ator-controlling switch contacts. Specifically, 31

the instant of energization of electromagnet 10 and the final closure of. the annunci- To this end, I provide an adjustable stop for defining the normal position of the switchoperating stud 49. 51 indicates such stop, mounted on a disk 50 which is rotatably mounted on shaft 47 and retained thereon by nut 58. The disk carries a pointer sweeping over a graduated scale sector 52 rigidly mounted on the shaft 47, said pointer bearing a finger piece 57 by which it is moved. The pointer is in the form of a spring leaf pressing toward the dial and carrying a pin 56 for engagement in any selected one of a series of holes 53 in the dial, the holes being spaced apart to correspond with the suc cessive teeth on the ratchet. Thus with the pin 56 in the 5th hole the ratchet must make 5 steps to close the annunciator-controlling contacts, and so on.

A bar 59 is provided for supporting the binding posts for the device in obvious fashion.

I will now describe certain circuit ar rangements in which the device above described may be very advantageously applied.

In Fig. 5 I have shown the application of a device to a hospital system, which, as described in my copending application above mentioned, includes a circuit extending from battery 60 by wire 61 to an electromagnet 62, thence by wire 61 to the patients normally open signal-initiating switch 63, and thence by wire 64 back to the battery, so that upon closing of the switch 63 the electromagnet 62 is energized. The armature of the electromagnet 62 is connected in circuit to light an annunciating lamp located at the nurses cabinet and also to complete a holding circuit for the electromagnet 62 independent of the patients switch 63. v Specifically the armature 65 of electromagnet 62 is connected as by wire 66 and return wire 64 to one terminal of the battery and upon attraction it is adapted to coact with contact 65 which has parallel connection to the other terminal of the battery, on the one hand by wires 67 and 68 through an annunciating lamp 69 to wire 61 and on the other hand by wire 70 through a normally closed release switch 71 to wire 61" and thence back to battery through magnet 62. The release switch 71 is located at the patients bedside so that the nurse may extinguish the light 69 and deenergize electromagnet 62 to cause retraction of armature 63 only by depressing. the release switch 71 upon attending to the call. Armature 65 is also adapted to close contacts 72 and 73 and these battery circuit (61, 74, 75, 72,73, 76, 10, 77, 64) with the electromagnet 10 of the device above described, so that manifestly, as soon as the patient presses call switch 63 closed are included in a emerge-n2 net l energized, so to remain 'untilthe nurse,

' operates release sw1t'ch71 to release the antively,

clock 88 which closes -intervals',say every half running by nunciator 69 and show that the 1 call has been answered. For the local circuits of the retard mechanism, I may run two battery wires 80 and 81 to wires '61 and 64 respecthe former including a commonrelease key 82 and the'lat'ter including the the wire- 81 at regular minute. Magnet is controlled by' switch 15-16, its circuit wire 82 to spring 40', contact 41, wire 84, switch 15'16, wire 85, magnet 30, and wire 86, to clock wire 81. When contact 40 moves from point 41, itbreaks the circuit for magnet 30=but closes-two circuits, the one being an a'nnunciator circuit ex-tending from point 42 by wire 87 through. annunciator lamp 88 to wire 64, and th e other beinga holding circuit for magnet 10 extending from point 43 (connected through contact 40 with one side of battery) through wire 89, individual release key '90, and wire 91 to wire 76 (thence through magnet 10 and wires 77-64 to complete 'the circuit to the other battery terminal). It will be observed that in this'arrangement any number of the .devices may be included in circuit, the clock ing arranged in common wire which all electromagnets 30 receive current 'dition subject to 83 being included in the common clock wire 81, the electromagnets 10 of the :several devices having connection to thecommon feed wire 74 and return wire 64, a common release button 82 being included in a wire 80 to which the contacts 40 of the several declock 83 be- 81 through vices are all'connected, and the supply. In this way, the number of devices may be multiplied indefinitely 'by connection of each thereof'to the common wires as'above described. r

The operation of the' device above described is as follows: Normally the contacts all "stand in the positions shown in Fig. 5, the circuits for all the'electromagnets 10,80, and 62 being broken. Now when a patient presses button 63, closing the circuit 60, 61, 62,61, v63, 64, 60, electromagnet 62'is'energized, attracting its armature 65 which coacts with the'contact 65 and also closes the retard-controllingswitch 72 -73. The closing of the armature 65 against contact 65 closes parallel circuits from-the armature-65 (which is connected by wires 66-434 to one terminal'of the battery) through the nurses lamp 69 on the one hand and the release cir'cuit'on'the other, to the other terminal of the battery,'the latterparallel circuit taking the course 60, 61,62, 61', 69, 70, 71, 67,'65,65, 66, 64, 60, including the electromagnet 62 which is-therefo're locked in'ene'rgized condener'giza'tion only 'by the operation of release switch 71. In thispobeen operated. signal is set butthe nurse has not released tromagnet 10 is 15 -16 and moving pawl 22 into holding engagementwith the ratchet wheel 46. The

closure of contacts. 15 and 16 completes the time-clock circuit for the electromagnet -30,

as follows: 60,80, 82,40, .41, 84, 15,16, 85,30,

'86, 83, 81, 60.; While thiscondition is maintained, each clock-controlled half-minute impulse energlzes electromagnet 30, causing its pawl to dog the ratchet forward until,

7 after a number of impulses predetermined by adjustment ofdisk 5.0 and its stop pin 51,

contact 40 s moved over to annunciator-operating position to close with its contacts 7 4243. Once this position ofswitch closure is attained, electromagnet 10 is 'thrownjin'to holding circuit 60,80, 82, 40, 43, 89, 90, 91,- 10,77, 64,- 60,s0

nurse operates her reopening connection of' contacts 7372 and 'den'ergizing electromagnet 10, the retraction of armature 12 removing holding :pawl

4 ratchet wheel 46 I "and spring48 acting to return the ratchet. f

22 fromtengagement with wheel 46.t0 normalposition,=that is, to position where'the'stud 49 strikes the stop pin 51 in whateverposition :said stop p'insis placed by :opera tion of disk '50 and its pointer-54 over thesec'tor 52. Therefore, if

of the time predetermined by the setting of the stop pin, will notbe lighted, butjif'she delays answering switch '71: until i that device will operate, 'as-des'cribed, to -light the lamp 88and throw 'electromagnet 10 into a holding circuit energized independently that itca'n be released only by opening of either :thecommon release key 82 or the-individual release key90. Itwill be seen that if the lease switch 71 before the predetermined,

'time'has elapsed, electromagnet62 willbedeenergized and its armature 65 retracted, so"

the nurse answers thecall before the lapse.

the superintendents lamp 388,

the call and operating the releasingtime has elapsed, :the

ofany circuit over which'the nurse 'hasicontrol,1so'that the lamp circuit for electromagnet '10 5 by pawl 22 'from'ratchet wheel. 46 and spring 48'retu'rningtheparts to normal. If desired the release i'bllttOIl "82. may be operated to break all of the holding circuits and return to normal all of those set devices'for lines wherein the "nurses release switch 71 "has Where -'the superintendents the 1 switch 7 1, 'electromagnet 62 is'energized and contacts 72-73are1still closed, 'so that under these conditions electromagnets 10 superintend'ents release switch. Also, it will be noted, no device may be released until it has reached signal-setting position.

The arrangement above described and shown in Fig. 5 may be applied to a system already installed in accordance with the teachings of my copending application above mentioned, and in such installations the maximum time devices are advantageously installed in the supervisory station. By slightly modified wiring, however, the arrangement may be modified for elimination of some of the contacts and use of the electromagnetlO to accomplish the work which, in the Fig. 5 arrangement, is done by electromagnet 62. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 6, electromagnet 10 is included in circuit with the patients switch 63 (similarly to electromagnet 62 in thefirst described arrangement) and contacts 17 and 18 are arranged to be closed by the armature 12 of electromagnet 10 for establishing the parallel circuits from contact 17 (connected by wire 66 to one terminal of the battery) to contact 18 and wire 67 and thence in parallel by Wire 68 to lamp 69 on the one hand, and on the other'by wire 7 0 to the nurses release switch 71, Wire 61, electromagnet 10, wire 61 to battery, so holding the electromagnet 10 in energized condition pending operation of release switch 71. If said release switch 71 is operated obviously the electromagnet 10 will be de'energized and the parts returned to normal, but if the circuit is maintained by the release switch 71 for the predetermined time, the electromagnet 30 operates as heretofore described (the circuit being completed at 1516 as before and eX- tending from batery 60, over 81, 83, 86, 30, 95, 15, 16, 96, 97, 60). When contact 40 is moved into connection with contacts 42 and 43 parallel'annunciator and holding circuits are established from contact 40 (connected to common wire 98 including general release switch 82) on the one hand through superintendents lamp 88 to common wire 97 and on the other hand through release switch 90, Wire 91, electromagnet 10, wire 61, and battery. Thus, the holdingcircuits may be released individually at 90 or as a whole at 82, as in the arrangement shown in Fig. 5. In this sort of an arrangement the maximum time switches are preferably placed in the nurses annunciator cabinet, only the supervisory annunciators and release keys being located in the supervisory station.

The two diagrams which I have illustrated will show that the device described may be variously applied and it will be understood that structures embodying my invention may take forms adapting it to many other environments and that many changes in the structure herein described may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and withinfthe scope of the appended claims, the particular adaptation to a hospital'signal system being selected only, to show one advantageous embodiment of the invention.

WVhat I claim is:

1. Means for indicating maintenance of uniform circuit conditions for a predetermined time comprising, in combination, a circuit, the closure whereof is to be indicated, an electro-responsive device therein, a self restoring movable part restrainable against restoration during and by the energization of said electro-responsive device, means to move said movable part at a known rate, signaling means operable by said movable part after predetermined movement for indication of the continuous closure of said circuit for the predetermined time, and means operated by said movable part to maintain the signal in operation regardless .of subsequent deenergization of the said circuit.

2. In a device of the character described, an electro-responsive device, for connection in a circuit, a self restoring movable part restrainable against restoration during and by the energization of said electro-responsive device, means to move said movable part at a known rate, holding means for said movable part and signaling means, both op erable by said movable part after a predetermined movement, whereby the signal once operated is maintained in operation.

3. In a device of the character described, an electro-responsive device, a self restoring movable part restrainable against restoration during and by the energization of said electro-responsive device, means to hold said movable part, and signaling means, both operable in response to actuation by said movable part after a predetermined movement, means to release said holding means, and means to vary said predetermined movement of said part necessary for operation of said signaling means and holding means.

1. In a device of the character described, an electro-responsive device, contacts for controlling a signal circuit, and means to operate said. contacts including a movable part, timed means for movingsaid movable part intermittently, means associaten with said movable part for operation of said contacts after a predetermined number of effective intermittent movements of the movable part, means responsive to energization of the electro-responsive device for render ing eflective said movements of the movable part, means automatically to maintain said contacts closed, and manual releasing means therefor.

5. Ina device of'the character described, an electro-responsive device, means to energize it, a holding circuit for said electro-responsive device, an annun'ciator circuit, contacts for controlling the holding circuit for the electro-responsive device and the annun ciator circuit, and means to operate-said contacts-including a part movable from normal position,'timed means 'for'moving said part from normal position toward contact-operating position, and means responsive to energization of said electro-responsive device to prevent return "of said movable part to normal position during continuance of the energization of said electro'responsive device.

6. In a device of the character described, an electro-responsive device, means to energize it, a step-up wheel, a holding pawl therefor controlled by said electro-responsive device and rendered operative bythe energization of the latter, an active pawl for said step-up device, an electromagnet for operating said tromagnet controlled by said electroresponsive device, means in said circuit for occasioning electrical impulses therein at regular intervals, a holding circuit for said electroresponsive device, normally open, a normally open signal circuit, and means controlled by said step-up device for closing the lasttwo said circuits after a predetermined number of operations of said electromagnet.

7. In a device of the character described,

7 an electro-responsive device, means to enercircuit for said electroan annunciator circuit, holding circuit gize it, a holding responsive device, contacts for controlling the for the electro-responsive device and the annunicator circuit, means to operate said contacts including a part movable from normal position, timed means for moving said part from normal position toward contact operating position, and means responsive to energization of said electro-responsive device to prevent return of said movable part to normal position during continuance of the energization of said electro-responsive device, and a manual switch for opening said holding circuit.

8. The combination of an electro respon= sivedevice, means at a signaling station to close a circuit therefor, a normally closed swltch at said signaling station, means 1n-' eluding said switch for maintaining a circuit for said electroresponsive device subject to interruption by the opening of said switch, a signal, means controlled by said electro-responsive device to actuate said'signal upon maintenance of said electro-responsive device in energized condition for a predetermined time, means automatically to maintainsaid signal when set, regardless of opening of the normally closed switch, and

signal releasing means at a supervisory station.

9. In a device of the character described,

trolled by predetermined movement of the wvheel to operate said contacts,

pawl, a circuit for said elec an electro-magnet 10', electro-magnet 30,

a step-up wheel having an active pawl? controlled by the armature of magnet 30 and a meanscontrolled by magnet 10' for energizing magnet 30 at regular time intervals, a signal, a normally'open circuit-therefor,- a normally open holding circuit for magnet 1'0, and means for closing said circuits constep-u'p wheel.

10. In a device of the character described, a frame, av shaft thereon, a self-restoring ratchet wheel on the shaft, electric contacts to be closed by rotation of the wheellthrough a predetermined arc, fixed in their relation to the ratchet wheel,

a fixed dial, an indicator on the shaft rotatable to difien' ent'positions indicated on'said dial, means for fixing said'rotatable part in relation to the dial, a stop carried by said rotatable part V for determining the extent of return movement of the ratchet wheel to define the initial position of the ratchet wheel, electroresponsive means for advancing said ratchet wheel and electro-responsive means for holding said ratchet wheel'against self restoration.

11. In a device ofthe character described, a frame, two electromagnets mounted thereon, 'a self-restoring ratchet wheel mounted on the framebetween said electromagnets, a holding pawl .for the ratchet wheel carried by the armature ofone electro-magnet' in operative when retracted an active pawl carried by the armature of the other electromagnet, and means for operation by the ratchet upon predetermined rotation thereof controlling the magnet for the holding pawl to cause deenergization thereof.

12. In a deviceof the character described, a frame, a self-restoring ratchet wheel carrying a contact-operating stud, electromagnets, pawls operable thereby respectively for holding and stepping up said ratchet wheel, andanadjustable part provided with an abutment for the ratchet wheel adjustably to define its initial position. g 13. In a device of the character described, a frame, a shaft carried thereby, .a self-restoring ratchet thereon, electromagnets re spectively to hold and step-up said ratchet wheel, a dial member fixedly carried by the shaft, a rotatable member carried by the shaft, a pointer on said rotatable member 00- v acting with the dial, an abutment on the rotatable member defining the initial position 1 L. Ina device of the character described, I

means on the ratchet a frame, a shaft thereon, a self-restoring to step-up said ratchet from said initial potion by the ratchet, a pin on the ratchet to In testimony whereof I hereunto set my operate said means, a rotatably adjustable hand in the presence of two witnesses. 1

5 part on the shaft, a stud on said" part for MAURICE LEVISON.

coaction with said ratchet-carried pin, to In the presence of define the initial position of the ratchet, and MARY F. ALLEN, means to hold against self-restoration and \V. LINN ALLEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

ratchet wheel on the shaft, means for opera sit-ion so defined to operating position. 1 I 

